This invention relates to amusement devices and more particularly to a game of skill wherein a ring is directed towards a pair of hooks extending from a target.
Various games are known in which rings are thrown towards pegs or other projections with the object of engaging the ring over a target peg. For example, ring-toss games are common at carnivals and fairs.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,024,025 discloses a variation of the standard ring-toss game in which the nose of a translucent puppet head forms a target towards which a metal ring is thrown. Successful "ringing" of the nose completes an electric circuit in the puppet head, activating a light to "reward" the player. The patent describes two forms of electric circuits. In one the ring is tethered to the puppet head by a conductive wire and the puppet nose contains a single terminal arranged such that lodging of the ring thereon closes a circuit. In the second embodiment the puppet nose includes two spaced apart, parallel terminals which are both contacted to complete a circuit when an untethered ring is successfully tossed over the nose.
A more elaborate ring toss game is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,148,346, in which a board contains several illuminated targets each comprising a pair of L-shaped elements separated by a gap. Tossing of a hoop over a target completes an electrical circuit, causing an appropriate score to be registered on a scoreboard connected to each individual target.
While the above-described games have several desirable features, including testing the skill of players and providing a psychic reward to the successful participant, they also have drawbacks. One shortcoming of these prior art ring games is that they require a player or other person to retrieve rings which miss the target. Such rings will typically fall to the floor or, in the case of a ring tethered to the target, will hang suspended below the target. Also, when metal rings of the prior art games are tossed at targets, the rings will frequently strike the board or surface from which the targets project, and thus may damage or mar the appearance of the surface.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved ring game.
It is an object of the invention to provide a ring game wherein a ring directed at a target returns automatically in the event of a miss.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a ring and hook game whose degree of difficulty may be quickly and easily varied.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a ring and hook game wherein a ring directed at a pair of hooks is prevented from contact with the surface from which the hooks project.